Liam Payne's heartfelt tribute to ex Cheryl and son Bear after 'hitting rock bottom'

Liam Payne opened up about his stint in rehab in Louisiana in 2023, one year before he passed away after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina.

In July 2023, the late One Direction star made a raw, unfiltered YouTube video where he thanked his ex Cheryl and their son Bear for supporting him while he took a break to "get well" after he "hit rock bottom."

"I kind of had to go away to get better," he began while addressing his absence from social media. "I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognise anymore and I’m sure you guys didn’t either.

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"I was in bad shape up until that point and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work."

Liam, who had a high-profile relationship with Girls Aloud star Cheryl from 2016 to 2018, continued: "Time with Bear has been really great.

"More than anything, I want to say thank you to him and his mum for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well in that moment because I had to.

"There’s no point trying to be a dad when you’ve got nothing to teach and I don’t think up until this point I really had much to say to him other than just caring for him very deeply and loving him deeply, which obviously are the most important things. I kind of feel like I've got more of a grip on life now."

Sharing a rare insight into fatherhood, 'Strip That Down' hitmaker Liam said: "[Bear's] awesome, he's growing up far too quickly. He actually texted me the other day off his iPad saying, 'Hello dad, right.'"

Laughing, Liam said he replied to his son's message with an informal "ello", which prompted Bear to correct his grammar.

"The simple response I got back was, 'No, no, no, it's not ello, it's hello with a h'. He's learning really quickly, he's far more smarter than I think I will ever be."

Liam's comments on sobriety

He referenced his "life-changing" appearance on Logan Paul's podcast, which saw him discuss his "dislike" of fellow One Direction star Zayn Malik and how his relationship with Cheryl changed following the birth of Bear.

Liam later reflected on his comments and said it encouraged him to seek help.

During the YouTube confession, he also revealed he was inspired to take a break from drinking after watching a Hans Zimmer concert with his friend Umar who was sober.

"I was watching this beautiful symphony, I was having a drink, and I just thought, 'You know this just isn't serving me, I don't really need this right now,'" he said.

"I haven't picked one up since which is almost 6 months which I'm excited about. The party is over."

Liam and his ex Cheryl

Liam first met his ex when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 aged 14, but it wasn't until 2016 that the pair's friendship turned romantic.

The couple – who have a 10-year age gap – made their red carpet debut at the Global Gift Gala in May 2016 and welcomed their son Bear in 2017.

At the time, Liam shared a heartfelt post that read: "My close friends and family know there are very few times when I’m left speechless… wow! I’m incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world.

"It’s a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far. I’m completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this, she’s really made my dreams come true."

Bear was just one when the couple split in July 2018 following a two-year romance.

The 'Steal My Girl' singer announced the news on X, formerly Twitter, writing: "Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.

"We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together."

READ: Liam Payne tributes: Harry Styles's mum and more share condolences